national mall at the end of the month. >> tonight i announce the rally to restore sant. it is happening, people, it is happening! it is happening! a real gathering! we will gather! we will gather on the national mall in washington, d.c. a million moderate march where we take to the streets to send a message to our leaders and our national media that says "we are here! we are only here until 6:00 p.m. because we have a sitter!" >> ladies and gentlemen it is on, october 30th, on the mall, because now is not the time to take it down a notch. now is the time for all good men to freak out for freedom! don lemon in for tony harris today. restore sanity. the world would be so boring if

we tried to restore sanity. what would we do, you and i? >> great stuff with chrissie hind. >> took us both back to the '80s. >> elementary school, i was just a babe. have a great weekend. live from studio 7 at the cnn world headquarters in atlanta, i'm don lemon. banged up new yorkers have some cleaning up to do. a freak but fast storm rolls over the city with very destructive force. the government revoking a breast cancer drug. studies question whether it works. >> i couldn't say that avastin is the reason i lived longer than i expected. i say it's a combination of a lot of things. mens forced to work in factories and mines under brutal conditions. american p.o.w.s return to japan looking for an apology. >> our needs are simple.

>> we'll update you on that story. good morning, i'm don lemon. tony is off today. those stories and your comments right here, right now in the cnn newsroom. we start with this story. who is this woman? and why is she about to have a big influence over your finances? she is, of course, elizabeth warren, and today president obama appoints her to help establish the new consumer financial protection agency. concentrate on the word "establish." the agency's role is to help you avoid fraud and hidden fees in mortgages to credit cards to student loans. president obama, again, is not appointing warren -- that's why i said pay attention to the word "establish" that agency. not appointing her to head the new consumer agency, at least not for now. ed henry joins us live from washington. hello, ed. good to see you. explain what the president is doing and why is he doing this. >> reporter: let's start with why she has become such a

lightning rod. elizabeth warren is a hero to the left, a lot of progressive groups. beyond being a har voord law professor, she is chair of a congressional oversight panel of the t.a.r.p. bailouts, and she has taken on big banks. been known as being fearless, and also, frankly, taking on the obama administration and keeping them honest about having oversight, real oversigtd of washington, and so there is a lot of pressure on the president to make sure she had a prominent role in heading the agency or setting it pup. it will provide a check and balance specifically on making sure credit card companies are following through on the disclosure requirements, protecting students with student loans and giving people free credit scores, make sure you have access to that information. the president is going to say at 1:30 eastern time, among the remarks, never again will folks be confused or misled by the

pages of barely understandable fine print. the consumer financial protection gur row will be a watch dog for the american consumer charged with enforcing the financial protections. he will not name her to head the office because she has been a lightning rod for being so tough on the big banks. the left is happy but the right is not. you have republicans in senate who may not have voted for her confirmation to run the office. she will become an adviser to the president and the treasury secretary to set this office up and down the road name somebody to run the office. there are more republican friendly groups like the u.s. chamber of commerce not happy at all. they say this is a circumvention of one of the few checks and balances that are out there to make sure this agency, that will have vast regulatory power over the marks to have that confirmation. the president is going around

that with this appointment. >> looks like a beautiful day in washington. ed, have a great day. we're going to dig much deeper on the story and tell you about the new consumer protection bureau, the center piece of financial reform. ines ferre has more on how it is to protect your opinion. >> one of the goals of this new agency is to avoid another subprime meltdown, so it's really watch ugh dog, independent watch dog over mortgages, short-term loans known as pay-day loans over all sorts of products, credit cards included. it ensures that consumers get accurate information on this, and it also makes sure that they can set new rules. not only can it set new rules over the enforcement, but it can enforce these rules and improve data collection of these products.

so the other thing that it is is the idea is that it's really a centralized agency, and what they're going to be doing -- because the whole idea with it being a centralized agency is it's kind of like a one-stop shop for these financial services and products and regulations and rules over these financial services and products, and it's going to establish a hotline. so, don, people that have complaints about whatever product it is, they can actually call this hot line. it will be a toll-free hotline, and they can call the hotline for complaints or information. >> thank you for that, ines,er if ray. we appreciate that. as ed henry second the president will announce the appointment of elizabeth warren today at 1:30 p.m. eastern time. you can see that right here on cnn. >> checking other big stories today, british police have arrested five men on suspicion

of terrorism. some news reports say the arrest involved a potential threat to pope benedict's trip to great britain. authorities have not confirmed that but promptly launched a review of the arrangements for his trip to london. let's go to atika shubert. >> reporter: we have learned from westminster city council is that all five of these men were working for a local cleaning contractor as street cleaners, were arrested at 5:30 in the morning by police based on new information they received. the men were between the ages of 26 and 50. that's all we know about those men. they were arrested at a business address, and police are continuing to question them and search not only a business here in central london but residences in north and east london. as you point out, police have not confirmed a direct link between the arrests and the pope's visit but it did prompt a review of his security and itinerary but they say they are happy with his security and he

is on route to this area from his location in wimbledon, south london. he should be here in this area very shortly. >> what's behind this? do they know anything about a motive, why someone would want to target the pope, possibly? >> reporter: well, you know, police haven't given any details. what we do know from our police sources is they have not heard of any threats to him during his visit here except for this very recent information that came in. it's very new and that's why they decided to act quickly and make those arrests early this morning. there's still a lot of mystery of what's going on and not giving a lot of details except to say these arrests were done on charges of terrorist activity. >> atika shubert following the pope's visit to europe. appreciate it. mother of natalee holloway had a face-to-face with the man suspected in her daughter's

disappearance. it happened in a prison in peru where van der sloot is charged with another murder. they were together for five minutes before it was cancelled. new details on yesterday's murder/suicide at johns hopkins hospital in maryland. the gunman wounded a doctor who he believed botched a surgery on his 84-year-old mother. he believed the operation may have left her paralyzed. the wounded doctor is suspected to survive. a neighbor describes the gunman as a very dough voted son. >> as far as i could see, he was always there for her. if she had to go in the ambulance, he rode with her and never left her side. i toll her when i seen him walking her out that she had a great son. you don't find too many sons like that. scary moments in the new york area. new york city is recovering from a short buy extremely violent

storm that killed one commuter last night. many witnesses record seeing a funnel cloud forming. check out these pictures. the storm hit during rush hour and as ryan cut through neighborhoods, he found this devastation. decades-old trees uprooted and falling on cars in the streets. rob, as i said, new york, very dense area. i used to work right near park slope. during rush hour? >> this blew up during the rush hour as this line of storms came over the delaware river and exploded over southern manhattan, brooklyn and queens. that moved through and we are watching this, hurricane karl, category 3 storm scraping the coastline of mexico, about to make landfall. we'll have the latest track on hurn igor.

mary: does this dress make my backside look big? abe: perhaps... save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance?really host: is having a snowball fight with pitching great randy johnson a bad idea? man: yeah, i'm thinking maybe this was a bad idea. logistics makes the world work better. ♪ when it's planes in the sky ♪ ♪ for a chain of supply, that's logistics ♪ ♪ when the parts for the line ♪ ♪ come precisely on time ♪ that's logistics ♪ ♪ a continuous link, that is always in sync ♪ ♪ that's logistics ♪ ♪ carbon footprint reduced, bottom line gets a boost ♪ ♪ that's logistics ♪ ♪ with new ways to compete ♪ there'll be cheers on wall street, that's logistics ♪

♪ when technology knows ♪ right where everything goes, that's logistics ♪ ♪ bells will ring, ring a ding ♪ ♪ ring a ding, ring a ding, that's logistics ♪ ♪ there will be no more stress ♪ ♪ cause you've called ups, that's logistics ♪ welcome back to the cnn newsroom. bp plans to seal the ruptured oil well this weekend and declare it dead. a relief bore finally

intersected the well more than two miles beneath the gulf flar. what happened to the oil? that's in dispute. some scientists disagree and claim that the government is using heavy-handed tactics to shut them up. here is maya rodriguez from wwl. >> reporter: as the oil spill unfolded, scientists from research sninstitutions around e country descended on the gulf. >> right now, the gulf is a big experimental laboratory. >> reporter: that included william sawyer, a florida tax kolgs, and marco, both hired by a new orleans based law firm to collect and analyze samples of water, sand and sea life affected by the spill. >> what is most important to us is to make sure we have independent data. >> reporter: they sampled off the coasts of several gulf

states, including louisiana. they say their findings so far are troubling. >> we have found an alarming pattern of hydrocarbons maintained in the water column. >> we are finding so much more of the toxic part in the water column. the obvious question is what is happening to the seafood? >> reporter: in the seafood they found potentially toxic hydrocarbons at levels above the norm. they began to post their data on line and then came the phone calls. >> we were contacted by the national commission on the bp oil spill. >> reporter: president obama created the commission to look into the oil spill, but the scientists say that the commission's phone calls were unsettling. >> i explained the work but there was grave concern as to why we are finding contamination as there was sort of a loaded question, and then the questions were geared twortds sampling permits. >> reporter: the question, did they have the proper permits to

do their sampling. they said they did. >> the second thing we were asked is do we believe that our data shows that the federal data is wrong, and the last thing, of course, is the national commission impugned by reputation and saying they were trying to determine if we were sampling illegally. >> reporter: the attorneys said they were responding to a constituent complaint from a food distributor, but a spokesperson from the oil commission said that wasn't the case, and that the scientists were contacted by the commission was impressed with their work yet that was gnat the impression left with either one of the scientists, one of whom retained a lawyer. >> if we don't get the data out to people, how do they decide whether or not it is safe. >> maya rodriguez. a spokesman from the oil commission says they are asking questions to gain insight and regrets if there was any misunderstanding about their motives. one is a liberal, and one is

a conservative. jon stewart and stephen colbert announced plans to wake up washington. my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a liquid gel. zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. [ tires screech ] [ engine revving ] [ drums playing ] [ male announcer ] 306 horsepower. race-inspired paddle shifters. and f-sport-tuned suspension. all available on the new 2011 lexus is. it isn't real performance unless it's wielded with precision. it isn't real performance and my dog bailey and i love to hang out in the kitchen. you love the aroma of beef tenderloin, don't you? you inspired a very special dog food. [ female announcer ] chef michael's canine creations.

chef inspired. dog desired. i've been looking at the numbers, and i think our campus is spending too much money on printing. i'd like to put you in charge of cutting costs. calm down. i know that it is not your job. what i'm saying... excuse me? alright, fine. no, you don't have to do it. ok? [ male announcer ] notre dame knows it's better for xerox to control its printing costs. so they can focus on winning on and off the field. [ manager ] are you sure i can't talk -- ok, no, i get it. [ male announcer ] with xerox, you're ready for real business. we're going to get you live to washington in just a second. we want to tell you about religious conservatives, opening a big political talkfest in that district today called the values voter summit. you are looking at live

pictures. mike pennsylvania speaking now. the event is in its fifth year and draws presidential wanna-bes along with rising stars from the gop. we will continue to follow this story throughout the day, but democratic senate nominee and tea party favorite christine o'donnell has been inviting to speak, and also minnesota congresswoman michelle bachman. >> to those shoe spread lies and falsehoods about the tea party movement, let me be very clear to them. if you are scared of the tea party movement, you are afraid of thomas jefferson, who penned our mission statement, and by the way, you may heard of it, it's called the declaration of independence. >> michelle bachman speaking earlier, and mike pence speaking at the value voters summit.

we will have continuing coverage on this story throughout the day. politics, comedy? i guess they merged. fake news intersecting the real world of applications today. jon stewart is calling his fans to march on washington this october 30th. the event is a response to a recent rally by conservatives wall restoring honor. >> tonight i announce the rally to restore sanity. it is happening, people! it is happening! it is happening! a real gathering! we will gather! we will gather on the national mall in washington, d.c.! a million moderate march where we take to the streets to send a message to our leaders and our national media that says we are here! we're only here, though, until

6:00 because we have a sitter! >> this is going to be good. not to be outdone at that stephen colbert countered with his own announcement. >> my fellow americans, two score and four days from now, on october 30th, 2010, i am calling for the nation to join me on the washington mall for the march to keep fear alive! remember, government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth, but you might! next hour, you want to stick around because i'm talking with the best political team on television about how outsiders are remaking applications, and if these rallies by colbert and stewart ka gain political

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it is time now to update your top stories on cnn. on day two of pope benedict's visit to britain, five men are in custody on london on terror-related charges.

reports say they were arrested over a potential threat to the pope. police are not confirming that but they have confirmed security for the papal visit. more violence in afghanistan. a local government spokesman says the taliban kidnapped 18 people in northwestern afghanistan, ten campaign workers and eight afghan election workers. a candidate cass kidnapped in a separate incident in eastern afghanistan. a ohio, a couple has all of their sextuplets home. they were released from the hospital in waves as they gained weight.

this one scared a whole lot of people. it actually killed one person. it may have been a tornado that damaged several buildings at the ohio state campus in wooster, ohio. it did most of the damage at the university's agriculture research center. let's turn to rob marciano. i was getting that story confused with the new york story. that one major as well. new york city major as well. >> what's weird is they happened around the same time. when the new york city possible tornado was going through there was a separate cell lagging behind cruising through southeast ohio and did put a tornado down in athens, ohio, and then moved to west virginia. this was the radar from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. this blazes up and cruises

across new york harbor and queens and brooklyn. that is the cell that may have produced a tornado. the more i-reports we look at it looks like it was probably a tornado. the national weather service is out there surveying the damage to determine that for a fact. from all we have seen, it was nasty storm. that front has gone through. these two fronts were protecting us from igor. are they fast enough and strong enough to move igor away from bermuda? that's the question. this one, bay the way, is fairly chilly, bringing in fall-like air. we are in a busy hurricane season. this is hurricane karl, category 3 storm. it is making landfall right across a cro cross mexico. the winds from this are smaller than igor but will slam into the

mountains there and head to mexico city and by the time it gets to that el vague, typically they don't have punch. there will be mud slides. igor, winds of 120 miles an hour. this has not moved much at all. we are still looking for it to be very close if not directly over bermuda during the day on sunday as a cat 2 or possibly cat 3 hurricane. >> lots of activity out there. thank you, rob marciano keeping an eye on all of it for you. >> all year we introduced you to remarkable everyday people and in one week we will announce our top ten 2010 heroes. let's check in with ow 2009 hero and see how being the hero helped him expand his extraordinary work. >> the cnn hero of the 84 --

from the slums of the philippines to the stage of the kodak theater in hole with, ephron has come a long way. >> we are the change that this world needs to be. >> for 12 years, ephron and his team volunteers have pushed their mobile classrooms through the streets of the neighborhoods teaching kids who never make it to school. but after being named 2009's cnn hero of the year, ephron became a national hero. >> this is really overwhelming. >> upon his return, philippine president gloria arrow joe presented him with an honor. over a year, the push cart classroom has been replicated more than 50 times and inspired an education funded in part by the cnn grant.

>> before push cart, they saw it as a symbol of poverty. now it is a symbol of hope. >> his story has been told in six countries and can be seen on philippine television. a young man from the slums has turned the attention of the nation toward a common dream. >> my fellow countrymen are unleashing the hero inside them. thank you. >> who will be the cnn hero of the year for 2010? you decide. we will decide next thursday and will announce it on cnn.com on 1:00 p.m. when you can vote on line for the cnn hero who inspires you the most. thousands of american women with breast cancer use the drug avastin. what happens if it loses its fda approval. the decision is expected today and we'll hear how it could impact women all across the country. ♪ you're the one

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is tony is off today. some cancer patients are keeping their fingers crossed because

the fda is expected to decide today whether to continue it's preliminary approval of the drug avastin. nearly 40,000 american women will die from breast cancer. a lot of hopes are riding on this particular drug. more now from our senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen. >> don, the women affected by this decision have stage four breast cancer, which means that it's spread to other parts of their body. they say avastin has given them precious more time with their families. the first time ronnie villarreal had breast cancer she was 27 years old. when it came back she was 31 and proceeding nant. >> when i was 27 weeks pregnant, i found out of the recurrence of my cancer which is had spread from the original site into my bones, and in this particular case my right hip bone. >> reporter: little maddie was born healthy, but the cancer is

still in villarreal's bones, and now it's in her liver, too. >> i had a healthy, beautiful baby. >> reporter: most patients who get a diagnosis of stage four breast cancer like villarreal can expect to live only another year and a half but villarreal has lived two and a half years and shrinking. why has she lived longer than most? >> i think first and foremost it's my faith in god. >> reporter: and, also, she says because of one of her medicines, avastin. like other patients, she uses is in combination with chemotherapy drugs. >> people respond differently to different types of treatments and i have responded positively to this treatment. >> reporter: dr. edith peres is her doctor. >> before she started the treatment she was in pretty bad condition. >> reporter: you have seen tumor

shrinkage? yes. >> reporter: she is afraid her insurance may stopt paying for it because studies show breast cancer patients on average don't live longer on avastin and it has serious dangers including high blood pressure and internal bleeding. dr. joan mortimer was on the food and drug administration committee that voted against avastin. >> i think based on the objective data that we have right now, there really is no evidence that the benefits of giving avastin with chemotherapy outweigh the risk to the patient. >> reporter: without insurance coverage, villarreal can't pay for it. if patients have to pay for it themselves, how much money is it per month? >> it variouses from institution to institution but it's more than $5,000 a month. >> reporter: that's a lot. do you think avastin is the reason you lived longer than expected? >> i don't know. i couldn't say avastin isn't the

reason. i say it's a combination of a lot of things. hold on. >> reporter: maybe it's her other medicines or maybe just good luck, but villarreal doesn't want to change a treatment that seems to be working. >> so, it's going to be two years with my daughter. to me, that's kind of priceless. >> smile big for mama. >> again, i will willingly take whatever i can get to give me more time with my family. ♪ happy birthday to you >> don, if the fda takes away approval, the drug will still be on the market for other cancers, so doctors can still frib to breast cancer patients but here's the catch. insurance companies may say, hey, if the food and drug administration hasn't approved this for breast cancer, we're not paying for it, and, of course most patients can't

afford to pay for it on its own, $5,000 a month and even more for some patients. >> thank you, lids beth. she is an outspoken consumer advocate about to take on a powerful new role. we'll look at elizabeth warren's background and what's ahead for her and your money. 24-hour treatment ever with two active ingredients: prescription-strength medicine plus a protective ingredient that shields the medicine from stomach acid so it's effectively absorbed. just one zegerid otc capsule a day can relieve your heartburn all day and all night. if you have frequent heartburn, try dual-ingredient zegerid otc. heartburn solved. can be unsettling. but what if there were a different story? of one financial company that grew stronger through the crisis. when some lost their way, this company led the way. by protecting clients and turning uncertainty into confidence.

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take a look at the top stories right now on cnn. on day two of the pope's visit to london, five men were arrested on suspicion of terrorism. police have not confirmed whether the men were a potential threat to the pope, but their arrest did prompt london police to review the security plan for pope benedict. as the national weather service works to figure out if new york's storm was a tornado, crews are trying to clean up the mess. the storm killed one woman after a tree crashed into her car. the second in line to the british throne is knew rescue chopper. flight lieutenant wales, prince harry, graduated from the search and rescue program. he is a seeking hospital and will be stationed in wales. let's talk about improve being your health by eating right.

it can cost a fortune for the right foods. it doesn't have top it's time for our fit nation report and dr. sanjay gupta gets tips from a world famous french chef on eating healthy. >> reporter: with the economy in the slump, families are struggling to make ends meet. you don't have to sacrifice good nutrition. where better to find healthy living on the cheap than a five-star french chef. >> it is easy ways to find to eat on a budget but not expensive good food. >> reporter: eric rpeare says it is about doing what's good for you. >> buying chicken that is very inexpensive. instead of buying it cooked or cut, you buy it whole and then you save a lot of money. if you want something and something inexpensive, you have to think seasonal. if you want to eat tomatoes in

january, it's very expensive. if you make a soup with a squash it's very inexpensive. >> reporter: how does this french chef stay healthy himself? surrounded by top notch cuisine all day long? >> before i leave the house i have a little bit of dark chocolate. i leave my house around 10:00 and i walk through the streets of new york. it takes about 45 minutes. i think it keeps me in good health and in shape. >> reporter: the bottom line, he says -- >> i'm a strong believer that you can do a lot of things in terms of eating which is, you can eat burger and chocolate and have a little desert here and there but it has to be in a quantity that is control ed, and you have to compensate with some exercise. >> reporter: dr. sanjay gupta,

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waiting for. it's time for your cnn equals politics update. paul steinhauser with the best political team in television is in shirt sleeves and raring to go. what's crossing right now, paul? >> right now, on the cnn political ticker at cnnpolitics.com, the value voters summit, an annual event here in washington, top conservative activists around the country. christine o'donnell, a rock star on the right, will be there, the new senate nominee from delaware. mitt romney is addressing the crowd. romney, along with a bunch of other possible, possible, probable, maybe 2012 presidential hopefuls are speaking at a two-day conference tomorrow. they have a straw poll. also on the ticker -- not yet. i'm writing it as we speak. sharron angle, the senate nominee on the republican side

out in nevada, she was right here in town, just a few blocks from where we are at our d.c. bureau, meeting with insiders on the senatorial campaign committee, top people there and with some senators. they had a fund-raiser for her in town. she may be an outsider but needs inside party help to beat harry reid come november. the battle for 2012, sarah palin tonight in iowa, raising a lot of eyebrows. this is a speech she's going to be giving, a headliner at a big republican party dinner in iowa. iowa leads the way in the primaries. more on that coming up later today. >> you have got to pay attention, paul and viewers, because as we get closer to november, it comes fast and furious, and paul is part of the best political team on television. your next update in one hour and for the latest political news,

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why don't we talk some money, shall we? and a good way to do that, we can start and you at home with

start at cnnmoney.com. this is a big story today. a housing rebound, question mark. yes, it is possible. let's hope so. as a home own e and i'm sure you're saying the same thing, as well. checking the markets real quick, the nasdaq, up six points, almost seven points, and the dow is down eight, almost nine points. we're going to get to new york in just a little bit. as we told you, at the top of the hour, the consumer financial protection bureau is about to become the newest government agency. its mission? to protect and you your money. now we go to new york. new york stock exchange. alison kosik is at the stock exchange with all the details for us. so alison, the president is going to appoint elizabeth warren to an advisory position. so -- which doesn't require a senate confirmation. so i don't know, is it the top dog, what's going on? why is warren so important that obama is side stepping this senate process? >> well, don, she's got a lot of history with this consumer protection agency.

it was her idea in the first place. in fact, she proposed if in 2007, just months before the recession technically started. and because she created it, she really knows the most about it. so obama really wants to get her in there. and she may not have made it through the confirmation hearings, which is why he may have kind of skirted the process a bit. she has a reputation of having a tough love attitude with the banking industry. she is not a big face to face wit with trawl street, and if she got through these really contentious senate hearings, they could have actually derailed her confirmation hearing. so that's probably why we're seeing him take this kind of way around. but the fact of the matter is, warren does have the experience. currently, she heads the panel that oversees t.a.r.p. you know, she looks at where all that $700 billion went. she also wrote eight books on credit and economic stress, and she served on the fdic and bankruptcy panel, so she's got a lot of experience mind her. don? >> i know i've heard a lot of people talking about this particular story, alison, that this accountability and

oversight that she would propose would have been years ago when warren proposed it, but would it have avoided the recession? some say yes, some say no. >> and it's really a good question, don. but think about it. the recession was started by a variety of problems. so, you know, there isn't one magic bullet that would have prevented the recession. i want you to listen to andy silver's take from "fortune" magazine. listen to this. >> to the extent that she was overseeing, would have been overseeing mortgages and that was a part of the problem, it's possible she could have mitigated part of the problem, but, you know, it's really very, very difficult to tell. and i think at the end of the day, probably not. probably would have not been able to forestall the huge crisis we had. >> you know, the issue here is that warren's rules only address one part of banking, the consumer side. you know, it doesn't take into account things like derivatives and even she admits this in a blog that she wrote earlier, saying that the consumer protection agency, don, won't fix everything wrong with the economy. don? >> alison kosik, thank you very much. we appreciate that.

check back in with you in just a little bit throughout the day here on cnn. notify we have some chilling details to tell but of a deadly home invasion. we'll bring you a time line next hour as a mother tried in vain to get help from police. evidence from connecticut. we'll bring it to you. plus, 44 million americans in need. we'll introduce you to a brooklyn woman fighting to esca escape poverty. her story and more. boss: and now i'll turn it over to the gecko.

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threat against pope benedict xvi, who is in great britain. we also left turnarned the men algerian and in the country illegally. more on that throughout the day here on cnn so stay tuned. in the meantime, today is powmia national recognition day. it remembers those still missing in action all the way back to world war ii. defense secretary robert gates is speaking at the special event this hour at the pentagon. and for six p.o.w.s from world war ii, it's been a long time, but they're in japan to get something they have wanted for decades. we were with them during their historic peace visit. ♪ >> reporter: the final days of world war ii. japan had surrendered. america's prisoners of war, finally free. earl swabbo was 17 when she was captured, held for almost four years in a japanese prison camp,

worked nearly to death, weighing only 70 pounds. >> they made us all get out of our barracks and watch them shoot the six prisoners. i can't forget all these different things. i've seen a lot of atrocities. >> reporter: joseph alexander was just a boy who snuck into the military at age 14. a year later, he was america's youngest p.o.w. in world war ii. what he has wanted all these decades is a face-to-face apology. >> it would give us satisfaction. that's what we want. >> reporter: 65 years later, the horrors remain, and what the six p.o.w.s have come to reconcile, the very first american world war ii prisoners, invited by the government of japan, for a peace visit. >> we're between 90 and 92. >> 90 and 92. >> i'm going on 91. >> reporter: lester tenny was a radio operator for the u.s. army when he was captured. he survived what's known as a baton death march. thousands died on that 86-mile

march at the hands of the japanese military. now shaking hands with japanese government leaders, tenny shared a long-awaited message. >> our needs are very simple. we have never asked for much. the biggest thing we have asked for is recognition that we exist. >> reporter: an apology from japan's foreign minister, who called their imprisonment inhuman treatment. much has changed in 65 years. this former p.o.w. camp now a factory that produces chemicals. the united states and japan, close allies for more than 50 years. but after all this time, the american veterans say what they need and the reason why they're here is some sort of official acknowledgment of what they went through when they were p.o.w.s here in japan. >> i came here for a purpose. >> reporter: that purpose, says edward jackfort, here from the management of the company from where he was once a slave laborer, a meeting the company would not allow us to attend,

but one that jackford says is decades overdue. >> if all the other companies would do the same, it would make a big difference to us, to know that they acknowledge that what they did was wrong, and perhaps it would make it easier on everybody. >> reporter: so they did acknowledge that to you. >> yes, right. >> reporter: 65 years after the war's end, some small peace for those who paid an enormous price. >> war is no good for nobody. there's losers on both sides. so i think it's time for us to forgive and forget. >> reporter: kiung lau, cnn, tokyo. hello, everyone. thanks for joining us. i'm don lemon. tony is off today. top of the hour in the cnn "newsroom," where anything can happen. and here are some of the people behind today's top stories. a woman's last moments alive, captured on a bank surveillance camera. what happened to her and her family next is an horrific story at the center of a court case happening right now. living in poverty.

you have seen the numbers. today we're bringing you the faces behind those numbers. >> i live on approximately $5,000 a year. sometimes i have to skip a meal to make sure i can save the money so that my son brian has what he needs. z. you're online right now, and we are, too. ines ferre is following what's hot. >> don, this is from cnn.com. you thought unicorns were from fairy tales. scientists confirm the sighting of a rare animal, sometimes known as an asian unicorn. also, lady gaga picking up the phone ask calling up senators, she even recorded this message for congress. i'll tell you about this later. don? >> all those stories coming up. thank you, ines. straight to our top story right now. jurors get a break today after seeing horrific crime scene photographs from a deadly home invasion in connecticut. one of the two suspects is on trial. photographs of a doctor's wife and two daughters raped, murdered and torched bodies brought most of the jurors to

tears. new evidence also shows tape of the mother in a bank, and our randi kaye has that part of the story for you. >> reporter: you're watching a wife and mother in a desperate tame to save her family. this newly released bank surveillance video shows jennifer petit, 9:17 a.m., withdrawing $15,000 from her bank in the small town of cheshire, connecticut. it was a monday morning, july 23rd, 2007. about three miles away, something awful, something truly sinister, was happening inside her home. her husband, william, was bound and gagged. and along with her two daughters, haley and mckayla, was being held hostage. their mom hoped the $15,000 would be enough to convince the two men who allegedly broke into her home the night before to spare her family's lives. at the bank, she reaches out for help, but has to be discreet, because one of the two alleged kidnappers was just outside.

the bank manager quietly calls 911. 9:21 a.m. cheshire police first learn of the home invacation, and hostage situation. >> we have a lady who is in our bank right now. who says that her husband and children are being held at their house. the people are in a car outside the bank, she is getting $15,000. that if the police are told, they will kill her children and husband. she is petrified. >> reporter: minutes later, she leaves the bank with the ransom money. >> they told her they wouldn't hurt anybody if she got back there with the money. she believes them. i think she is walking out now. she is walking out now. >> reporter: 9:26 a.m. hawke-petit gets into her car, along with suspect, steven hayes. the bank manager describes the vehicle to police. officers are dispatched to the house to set up a perimeter. 9:27 a.m. a police captain tells officers not to approach the house.

almost 30 minutes go by. still, not a single officer approaches the petit home. no other authorities are alerted. not the fire department, not state police. in court, police testified that was protocol. in a hostage situation, they said, they don't storm the house. adding, they had no reason to believe anyone was in immediate danger. at 9:54 a.m., a police dispatch. dr. william petit, who would turn out to be the only survivor of this horrific crime, was in the yard calling for help. he was bleeding badly from his head, his ankles still tied. by now, nearly 40 minutes had passed since the bank manager had warned cheshire police about the nightmare scenario unfolding at the family's home. 40 minutes. police would soon learn that jennifer hawke-petit had been strangled. she and one of her daughters sexually assaulted. in chilling testimony, dr. petit described how he had been beaten with a baseball the bat,

then tied to a pole in the basement. he said the suspects yelled to him, quote, don't worry, it's all going to be over in a couple of minutes. and it was. dr. petit managed to free himself through a basement door, but minutes later, the house was on fire. his wife and two daughters dead. hayes has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault and murder. around 10:00 a.m., the suspects race out of the driverway in the family's suv. as smoke billows from the back of the home, the suspects slam into police cruisers. only then do officers realize, the situation was much more urgent than they had thought. randi kaye, cnn, new york. boy, that is a frightening story. many are accusing the police, though, of responding too slow to the invasion report. our anderson cooper stuffed it with our senior analyst, jeffrey toobin and mike brooks.

>> from the time of the 911 call from the bank teller, telling 911 that hey, this woman is here, she's in our bank, she says that they have been very nice, that if they give them the money they'll go away. from the time of that call to the time police were able to get a perimeter set up in that neighborhood -- but they actually -- also had someone outside with eyes on the house, trying to find out what's going on inside. >> and they said there was nothing unusual that they could see from the outside going on. >> exactly. from the information they had to work with, from mrs. petit, and you know their procedure that i think they were following, because you don't want to go rush right in -- they don't know what the situation is going on inside that house. it could have made things even worse. >> yeah, sort of damned if you do, damned if you don't. >> exactly. >> and the police would be blamed. i hate to second-guess police, but jeffrey, it's every -- it's sort of a nightmare scenario, someone invading your home, it

seems so horrific that can happen. and it's a bizarre strategy by the defense, they're blaming the police. even if they had made a mistake, their client still allegedly committed the crime. >> you know, we have all covered a lot of crimes. and i remember vividly when this -- when this happened in connecticut, thinking this is the worst. this is the single worst crime i have ever encountered, at least in the united states. and in terms of this defense strategy, the answer is, so what? if the police made a mistake, so what? how does that help the defense? i think the approach here, and, look, the defense lawyers have to say something, is simply to just throw things against the wall. try to blame someone else, try to complicate the story. try to deflect attention. i don't think it's going to work. >> boy, it is friday and you think it would be a slow day going into the weekend, but it is not. this just into cnn. we're talking about those 33 chilean miners that have been trapped underground since august 5th. we're getting new information, and cnn's patrick okayman joins

us from chile to tell us what's going on. this is hopeful, right, patrick? >> reporter: very hopeful. truly a remarkable development. the plan b drilling team that had made some good progress in the beginning but had really been sidelined lately with technical problems, broke through the miners drilling several hundred meters, the space of about 24 hours. now, we have to caution that what they'll do now is put a -- wider drill bit to continue to expand this hole to the point that they'll actually be able to rescue the miners. but this is the first time that a drill bit has reached the miners, and the amazing thing about this, too, is that the miners aided in this last operation. before the drill bit could eventually reach about 623 meters, they were encountering some difficulty hitting hard rock. one of the drillers of the plan b drill team, a pennsylvanian who is assisting with this drilling effort, he said that the miners were sent to the hole

that was being drilled and underneath were able to put pieces of wood up to see how far that bit was from the workshop they were drilling to. what this drill does essentially is widen a drill -- a hole that had already been drilled down to the mine. it's widening it to the point about 28 inches to the point where the miners will eventually be able to be rescued through it. it's now about 12 inches -- a very significant development, it's going to take several more weeks to widen to the point they'll be able to rescue those miners, but we're learning today that finally a drill bits has reached those men after 40-plus days in the mine. >> you're saying several more weeks, they were saying that it would not be until november or christmas. what are they, like, a mile and a half below the surface and they're saying possibly a week? that has to be good news for the family and the men, but i'm sure they don't want to raise any false expectation there, as well. >> reporter: well, a surprising very many. it will probably be several more weeks before they have it wide

enough to put the men through it, and then they'll begin the process of preparing that hole now to pull the men out. it's not going to be something that will be done in a day. they have to put a gauge down and pull the men out one at a time. but an important development today as the drill bit finally reaches the miners, giving these men some hope, and probably changing the time line yet. but, again, this happened quite suddenly this morning we got news on it. so i think the time line will be shifting. they're not out yet, but sooner, perhaps, than we expected. >> patrick opman joining us from chile. and this is developing news and good news. this is the kind of news we like, especially on a friday going into the weekend. and i'm sure the families of men who are trapped -- a mile and a half really below the surface in that mine in chile, able to get a bore hole able to reach them, and as patrick said they're going to try to make it bigger so they can get those men out and they say it will be a couple weeks. so hopefully, fingers crossed,

it will be before either thanksgiving or christmas the men are free from below ground. we'll keep you updated on that. the white house says it is stepping up to protect your financial interests, and elizabeth warren is the new sheriff in town. first, though, our random moment in 90 seconds. [ woman ] nine iron, it's almost tee-time...

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ice cream. it's probably good, because you get to eat at the same time as you have the munchies, right? the shop offers flavors like banana-bus foster. straw-merry cheesecake, and triple chocolate brownie. the owner says most customers come back for seconds, thirds, even fourths, and i'm sure fifths and sixths, as well. the ice cream at $15 a half a pint is for people who would rather eat their medical marijuana than smoke it. perfectly legal, though, in california. we should tell you, it is legal there. friday random moment for you.

she is an outspoken advocate for con soupers, and next hour, the president appoints harvard law professor elizabeth warren to a very powerful new position.

she will create the consumer financial protection bureau. the agency's role is to help you avoid fraud and hidden fees in everything from mortgages to credit cards to student loans. warren says, quote, the time for hiding tricks and traps in the fine print is over. hear more from the so-called new sheriff tonight. she's going to be on "john king usa." elizabeth warren. "john king usa" tonight at 7:00 p.m. eastern. it's going to be very interesting. make sure you tune in. let's talk more about the new consumer protection bureau owe. it is the centerpiece of financial reform that followed the economic meltdown. ines ferre has more on how the agency is supposed to help protect your money. ines? >> don, one of the goals of this new agency is to really avoid another subprime meltdown. and what it really is, is a watchdog, an inspect watchdog over credit cards, mortgages, short-term loans known as payday loans and other financial products. now, what it does is, it establishes new rules for consumer protections over

products and financial services products. and it can enforce these rules and improve data collection on how these products are being used. now, this agency is a centralized agency. that means the idea is that it can act faster. it doesn't have to wait for congress to pass laws to protect them from bad practices. and also, they're planning to establish national hot line. it would be a toll free, 1-800 number, where you could report problems with any financial services that you have. you can report problems, complaints, ask questions, new hot line coming. don? >> ines ferre, thank you very much. i to tell you that president obama announces the appointment of elizabeth warren today, 1:30 p.m. eastern. not very long from now. 1:30 p.m. eastern. my colleague, tj holmes will be here, he will be sheparding that coverage for you. 10:30 a.m. pacific. and you can see the announcement live, of course, during the cnn "newsroom." stick around. going to be interesting.

a pour of storm moving quickly through new york city yesterday. rush hour. dense population. big storm. not a good combination. it left quite a mess in its wake. [ female announcer ] be proud to admit your age. i'm 43. [ female announcer ] only roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream is clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. diminishing the look of even deep wrinkles. 10 years? i'll take that! [ female announcer ] roc® we keep our promises. imagination and reality have merged. because of one word, a new generation-- a fifth generation-- of fighter aircraft has been born. because of one word, america's air dominance for the next forty years

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and calls presidential wannabes along with rising stars. senate nominee and tea party favorite christine o'donnell has been invited to speak today after her surprise win on tuesday. also speaking today, minnesota congresswoman michelle bachmann. >> the government doesn't create wealth. the government doesn't create money. we do. we're the ones who do. but they're busy trying to be our banker, they're busy trying to be our mortgage broker, they're busy trying to be our financial services broker, our car dealer, our doctor. they are living off of our money. and you see, the tea party, like the great founders of our country, believes that governments are instituted among men like our declaration says, and derived their just powers from us. the consent of the governed. >> okay. we're going to follow that. as a matter of fact, they're on a lunch break at that values voter summit.

or we would bring you there live. stick around the cnn "newsroom." there we go. there's the room, of course, eating lunch, so they're not there, but a lot of high-profile republicans and as we say, rising stars in the gop-ranks speaking there, appearing there, and attending the value voters summit. values voter summit. so stick around at the cnn "newsroom." they make fun of the news -- different politics. the people who make it and those who report it. but jon stewart and steven colbert are getting serious. they're calling their fans to march on washington on october 30th, they're dueling rallies due to a recent event held by conservatives. >> tonight i announce the rally to restore sanity. [ cheers and applause ] >> it is happening, people! it is happening! it is happening! a real gathering! we will gather. we will gather on the national

mall in washington, d.c., a million moderate march, where we take to the streets to send the message to our leaders and our national media that says, we are here! we're only here, though, until 6:00, because we have a sitter. >> ladies and gentlemen, it is on! october 30th, on the mall. because now is not the time to take it down a notch. now is the time for all good men to freak out for freedom! >> so let's bring in cnn deputy political director, paul steinhauser to talk about the rising influence of really -- talking about political outsiders. some people may say, oh, this is a joke, and wonder, you know, if it's really or not. but i have to tell you this. as we were playing that clip earlier, just a second ago with steven colbert and jon stewart, every young person in this studio turned to look at the monitor. and that says a lot about their power and what's going on out there. >> you're absolutely right, don.

a lot of younger voters, let's talk about voters, get their news from jon stewart or colbert rather than from cable news networks or traditional newscasts. and a pew poll in 2007 had him tied for fourth with traditional anchors. we're talking about it, listen, we're talking about it on tv right now. and if you can look at this, cnnpolitics.com, a big story on our website, as well, don. and let's talk about the timing of this rally, october 30th, the saturday, the weekend before the midterm elections, don. >> observati okay, listen. i want to show you this. we have a cover of a new york magazine in which jon stewart was on, i was in new york the other day and saw them on stands and said, wow, look at that. very interesting. the stuart decade. says america is a joke and talked about jon stewart's power and goes behind the scenes of "the daily show." he is really a political force in a way, without really trying to be one, i would imagine.

so the question is, about these outsiders. you know, the beginning of the tea party. should we not underestimate what's going to happen here? can this turn into something real? >> yeah, don't underestimate it at all. nowadays, when it's so easy for anybody to make med lines and so easy for anybody to get their message out, yeah, outsiders in a way become very powerful. top politicians go on the colbert show and stewart show. >> and i have to say, paul, in the beginning of the tea party, what some people called the moveme movement, when the tea party started up, a lot of people underestimated the tea party and look what has happened in the recent days with that election. >> a tea party movement is a little over a year-and-a-half old and has become a major, major power player in republican primaries this year. and we have seen big upsets by candidates backed by the tea party movement. and i've said before, it's almost like the tail wagging the dog, it's the grass roots, the outsiders now having almost as much influence if not more in some cases than the establishment parties. >> paul steinhauser, tongue in cheek, but i think it's going to

turn into something much bigger. thank you, paul. >> thank you. you know, new yorkers were caught off guard by a powerful storm. one person was killed when the system moved through the city yesterday. we have some amazing damage to show you in brooklyn as we see in these pictures. it's from one of our i-reporters and the damage in queens. a burrow of queens. experts are not calling it a tornado, though. but that's not for sure right now. the national weather service is surveying the damage to determine what type of storm it was. let's go now for more expert advice, information. what about that? i don't want to say opinion. expert information on this. what was it, likely, straight line winds or tornado or don't know, chad? >> likely as the storm -- i backed this radar up a very long time, this is like a 15-outward loop. here is new york city and the line of weather there as it moved through yesterday afternoon, 5:00, 6:00, came from the west, lined up, the cells were aligned. and when cells do that, they push air out ahead of the line. and that's called a gust front

or also called a bow echo if this part starts to bend. if a part of the storm starts to bend, we see that bend right there, call that a bow echo. it's like a bow and arrow. it shoots that middle of that wind bigger in one spot. that one spot was all the way from brooklyn through queens down to staten island and most of new jersey, as well. so we think it was probably straight line wind damage. there may have been one small embedded tornado. i just never saw it. i never had any pictures of it, we had one picture that came of this big giant funnel cloud over the statue of liberty, we knew it was fake and didn't put it on tv. and people try to fake us out, but we usually do a good job and say, nah, sorry, we know you're not an i-reporter. and karl, 120 miles per hour, verify veracruz, right there, as the eyewall coming on shore right now, this is making landfall, we'll call it -- western eyewall coming on shore right at veracruz and into each

ode owe del reo. this is a very populated town call, call it a city, but well over 100,000 people being affected by a category 3 hurricane in mexico. don. >> did you -- ever teach anywhere? except for teaching the viewers? >> no. when my hair falls out -- when i can't be on tv anymore, i'll be a teacher. >> nice knowing you. so next week you're going to be a teacher? ahh! >> still have a couple weeks left. >> just joking. thank you very much for that, chad myers. criminals in mexico exploiting young women and girls and forcing them to become sex workers right here on this side of the border.

criminals in mexico are making money from smuggling and prostitution, preying on young women and girls, and then forcing them into the sex trade in the united states. cnn's raphael romo shows us one alleged plot and one teenager's shocking story. >> reporter: he is a 36-year-old mexican national, charged with involvement in a prostitution ring based in the atlanta area that victimized women and girls smuggleded from mexico, some as young as 14. >> they were brought in with a romantic promise, with job promises, young girls from a certain state of mexico of the. brought up, smuggled in, immediately forced into prostitution. >> reporter: immigration and can you say to hims enforcement

agent says four members of the family were involved in the prostitution ring. this 27-year-old who has admitted to providing false information, drove victims to several secret locations in the atlanta area, forcing them to see multiple clients per day. they were kept locked up in several houses. >> the houses had bars on the windows. locks on the outside of the door. we find 11 additional victims ranging in age from 14 to 28. all confirmed victims, all have been trafficked for the purpose of prostitution. >> reporter: this case offers a glimpse into how these rings operate. >> there was a lot of word of mouth. and a lot of the word of mouth actually comes with these little business cards that often have something very innocuous on them that you would only know it's a

business card for a prostitution ring. >> reporter: as a former prosecutor, he says the level of cruelty of these prostitution rings is hard to imagine. >> we have situations in the united states, cases that i have worked on, when i was with the justice department, involving women who had to service up to 50 customers a day. just a crushing amount of what in effect is a daily set of rapes. >> reporter: we found the mexican woman who was only 15 years old when she became a victim. her boyfriend in mexico promised a good life in the united states. and smuggeled her through the border. once here, she was forced into prostitution. she agreed to talk to us on the condition that we protect her identity. >> reporter: claudia, not her real name, describes to us a

world of abuse and beatings, drugs, forced sex, and sleepless nights with strangers. >> reporter: mia is a social worker who works with law enforcement agencies to rescue victims of human trafficking who come from all over the world. it must be really difficult for you to see the situation in which some of these victims come to you. >> it's very difficult to see them in this situation, specifically sexual exploitation and more so seeing minors go through this, and knowing that their lives are never going to

be the same and they're going to be scarred forever. >> reporter: what is the greatest challenge that you guys face when you're trying to help a victim in this situation? >> the greatest challenge that we have is getting the victim to actually admit that they are a victim. they have been brainwashed by the traffickers for so long, and told that the trafficker is the only person that they can trust. >> reporter: and back to the suspects in the atlanta case, accused of human trafficking, have pled not guilty. their trial is due to begin in november. rafael romo, cnn, atlanta. all right, rafael, thank you very much. more than ever before, students are leaving college, with a diploma, and a mountain of debt, though. >> no it's a sale. nothing beats a sale! wrong move! you. you can save up to half off that sale when you name your own price on priceline.

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terri mcmillan's latest novel "getting to happy" is already heading to the big screen, no surprise, since three of her books have been adapted into films, including, remember this one, "waiting to exhale?" the 1995 movie follows four african-american women and their relationships with men. and now, almost two decades later, mcmillan revisits the lives of these same women in "getting to happy." and our fredricka whitfield asked the author, if something happened in they are life, or the lives of these characters to prompt her to write a sequel. here's a preview of that interview. >> i had no intention of writing a sequel to "waiting to exhale." but after my divorce, i was really bitter and angry. you know, when you have been deceived, when you have been lied to, and someone that you trust, i don't care who they are, when it happens, you don't care. you just are angry. and it was wearing me out and i didn't like the person that i had become. >> reporter: it's interesting,

because you -- you talk about you were -- you were in a place. you were upset. your husband wasn't what you thought he was. >> no. >> reporter: why is it you made a decision, i'm going to do a continuation of these women's lives as opposed to write specifically about what happened to me? >> i started meeting a lot of other women who, in my age group, mid 40s to late 50s, who were just sad. some of whom had never been married, some never had children. some suffered from the empty nest syndrome. some were just lonely. and a lot of them seemed to be disappointed with how their lives had turned out. and so in trying to explore what it might take for us to get back to happy, i just came up with four different scenarios that i know a lot of women have to deal with. i realized that i had already told a story with four protagonists, female protagonists, and then i realized that those women were the perfect candidates for this story. >> reporter: berna dean, gloria,

savannah and robin. >> and then i did it. i closed my eyes. and i -- ex hailed. >> very nice. okay. don't hold your breath, but mcmillan talks more about the book. her emotional roller coaster after discovering her husband was gay. the bitter divorce, and how she got to happy, as she says. fredricka whitfield's extensive interview next week in our "what matters" segment and fred always does great interviews. to read more of what matters to all of us, make sure you pick up the latest issue of "essence" magazine on newsstands right now. ♪ [ female announcer ] good friends never run out of things to talk about... and during endless shrimp at red lobster, you can keep the conversation going over endless servings of your favorite shrimp. from classics like garlic shrimp scampi

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best place to check information on money, stock market, anything you want to know about business, whatever it is you want to know that has to do with money, cnnmoney.com. of course, the big story, a housing rebound. question mark. it would be great if it said a housing rebound. but it says a housing rebound, it's a question, yes, it's possible. let's hope it's possible, let's hope it's happening, really soon. let's check the markets quickly. the nasdaq up 12 points, dow up 9 points, plus territory. that is good. of course, the market still trading above 10,000. i want to get now to new york and talk to our stephanie elam. she is going to be talking about this. students are taking on more debt than ever to cover the skyrocketing cost of college and it's really adding up. stephanie elam joins us from new york. stephanie, student loan debt hit a new milestone. oh, yeah, how long ago was that

for us, right? it was for me. >> no, for me, too. i keep looking at it and i'm like, it seems like it was yesterday, but actually, it was a lot of yesterdays ago, don. but for a lot of people who are dealing with their student loans, it's making it seem like college was maybe a long time ago, but a painful time ago, because student loan debt has hit a record high, and it now exceeds credit card debt in this country. so student debt now stands at take a look at this, $850 billion, according to financial aid website fin aid.org. total credit card debt is about $828 billion. so what's behind this trend? for one thing, people are cutting back on credit card use. we have been hearing about that all year, right, don? falling for 23 months in a row, people are like, i don't know what's going on with the economy, i'm not going to just bank on money being there, i'm going pay for things straight out. and at the same time, college costs are rising, about 5% a year, and that means more borrowing. that's why students are racking up loan debt at a rate of more than $2800 a second. imagine just looking at that by

second. now, you might think -- this is going to freak out a lot of students. that's actually not really what we found out when we talked to some students here in new york. >> i think when i become successful, i'll be able to pay them off. but i'm -- i mean, it's always a little worrying that you have this massive debt on you. >> hopefully i can get a nice job that i can pay it off in time. >> with what i'm in loans, i need to have, like, a very well-paying job by the time i'm, you know, in my mid 20s to start paying it back. >> i know that my job prospects of graduation are much higher, so the price will hopefully be worth it. >> so they always say you make more money if you go to college, right? but here's the thing. jobs are not as easy to come by these days. so more students are having trouble paying off their debt. the default rate on federal student loans recently hit 7%, and that's the highest since 1997, don. >> that's a lot of money. i know -- some of my friends, the overachievers, the ones who became attorneys and doctors, still paying off those loans.

so what do we do now in this day and age, stephanie, to students aren't paying off these loans for years and years. >> i know, they're still thinking about it. but experts suggest a couple things. first of all, if you're going to borrow, look at federal aid first. stafford and plus loans are cheaper and more available than private student loans. the second thing you want to do, don't borrow more money for your entire education than you expect your starting salary will be. that means you've got to research what your chosen field might pay and make sure you apply for grants and scholarships. hello, that's free money, because they say you qualify. of course, check out cnnmoney.com because they have this online calculator and can help you determine how quickly you can pay off the student loans. looks like this, you can find it on cnnmoney.com, don, to help everybody out there who may be going back to school and thinking, oh, boy, what am i going to do? >> stephanie, how is the little one doing? >> she is fantastic. she smiles all the time.

>> thank you. congratulations, by the way. >> sure. thanks, don. you know, mexico's east coast is getting slammed by hurricane karl, and we'll get the latest on the powerful storm as it moves ashore. [ male annou] dear corolla... i know, change is hard. you never considered making bluetooth, remote keyless entry and turn-by-turn navigation available in every model. so it must be hard for you to hear autoweek.com say our interior raises the small-car bar. if you want to talk about it, call me... that is you know when you get home... since you don't have bluetooth in every model. the all new chevrolet cruze. starting under $17,000. get used to more. ♪

it is time for your top stories right now on cnn. on day two of pope benefit dick the 16th's visit to britain, five men are in custody on suspicion of terror charges. cnn has learned, there is no evidence of a terror plot or threat against the pontiff. hurricane karl is starting to make landfall on the mexican coast. the storm ask packing powerful winds and dangerous storm surge. deadly rain is in the forecast as karl moves ashore. new revelations in yesterday's shooting at johns hopkins hospital in baltimore, maryland. one of the gunman's relatives says he was upset over what he thought was a botched surgery on his mother. the gunman wounded a doctor before killing his mother and then himself i want to give my 5 employees health insurance,

but i just can't afford it. i have diabetes. i didn't miss a premium payment for 10 years. and i'm worried if i lose my job, i won't be able to afford insurance. when i graduated from college, i lost my health insurance. the minute i got sick, i lost my insurance. not anymore. not anymore. not anymore. america's healthcare reforms change lives for the better. to find out how it can help you, visit us at americasfairhealthcare.org it's not just fair, it's the law.

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♪ i could hang around till the leaves are brown and the summer's gone ♪ [ announcer ] when you're not worried about potential dangers, the world can be a far less threatening place. take the scary out of life with travelers insurance... and see the world in a different light. all right. it's time right now for your cnn equals politics update. mark preston, the best political team on television, joins us now from d.c., working hard there, mark. what's crossing right now? >> well, don, let me tell you. what will she do, will she run, will she not run, lisa murdkowsi will make a decision want to. will she run as an independent. she has a lot of money, don and could run as an independent as a write-in canned da. i will tell you, establishment republicans here in washington, d.c. do not want her to run. they're now getting behind the

tea party candidate in that race. so lisa murkowski, we'll know in a few hours what her political plans are. let me demystify television for a our viewers a little bit, don. this is a live feed coming into cnn, this is our camera, nobody in that room, but at 2:00 this afternoon, they're going to come back in after lunch, and you'll be able to watch this live here on cnn.com. if you go to cnnpolitics.com, click on the link at 2:00, you'll be able to see the likes of rick san tore yum and tea party leaders talking about the future of the republican party and the election. so you've got to muscltitask on that one. and let's close it with this. who are these two men? stewart, colbert, what are they doing? they're going to come to washington, d.c. and march on washington right before the election. a lot going on on this election day. i'll tell you, i've got one more thing for you, don, just came across my blackberry right here. there's been a lot of discussion

about what jerry brown and bill clinton, could they ever get back together? they have been arguing a little bit. well, bill clinton is going to head out to california. they have just put out a news release, jerry brown's campaign to campaign for jerry brown for governor. we'll soon see them together. of course, there is that spat this past week, a lot of bad blood or was some past bad blood. these two gentlemen ran against each other for president in 1992. don? >> nice job, mr. mark preston. thank you, sir. your next political update coming up in one hour here on cnn. for the latest political news go to cnnpolitics.com. i want to know why. i want to know why my hair is falling out. how did this happen? how did this happen? a little pain in my knee. that's how it started. that's how it started, this rash on my face. now it's like my body is attacking me. i want answers. announcer: when you don't have the right answers, it may be time to ask your doctor the right question. could i have lupus?

okay. so we're going to talk about what's hot right now, and checking my twitter feed, madly, because i want to know if lady gaga tweets with harry reid. i mean, come on. she can -- she can tweet with don lemon, come on. >> and she has recorded messages to congress. and this one is on youtube. she recorded this message about don't ask, don't tell. she has called up senators and telling people to call up the senators themselves, and she actually called up the two senators from where she is from. so take a listen to this message.

>> okay. >> mailbox is full. goodbye. >> i have called both of the senators that operate in my district. i will not stop calling until i reach them and i can leave them this message. i am a constituent of the senator. my name is stephanie joanne angelina german ata, also known as lady gaga. i am calling to ask the senator to vote with senator's harry reid and carl levin to repeal don't ask, don't tell. >> and she is a big supporter of gay rights. i was watching the vmas the other night and she went with some service members who had been discharged under don't ask, don't tell. >> that's right. and we want to show you these other two things which -- this one is from harrisburg university. they actually have banned social media for one week, don. >> oh, really?

>> banning social media, just to see how social media, what it does to students if they don't have it. and there are signs in technology school. and also, netiquette, annoying signs people right, lol, omg. on facebook, i asked people to put which ones they didn't like. and these ones were the ones that some people said. personally, i hate lol. i never use it. all of them, ttyl. >> oh. >> yeah. >> you know what, i was wondering, too, you know, what's the correct age to stop using emoticons? answer that for me. we're back in a moment. thank you, ines. boss: and now i'll turn it over to the gecko. gecko: ah, t, as we all know, geico has been saving people money on rv, camper and trailer insurance... ...as well as motorcycle insurance... gecko: oh...sorry, technical difficulties. boss: uh...what about this? gecko: what's this one do?

gecko: um...maybe that one. ♪ dance music boss: ok, let's keep rolling. we're on motorcycle insurance. vo: take fifteen minutes to see how much you can save on motorcycle, rv, and camper insurance. and i was a pack-a-day smoker for 25 years. i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette." and brian looked at me at eight years old and said, "promise me you'll quit." i had to quit. ♪ my doctor gave me a prescription for chantix, a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] chantix is a non-nicotine pill. that stays with you all day to help you quit. in studies, 44% of chantix users were quit during weeks 9 to 12 of treatment, compared to 18% on sugar pill. it's proven to reduce the urge to smoke. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. and find out how you can save money on your prescription at chantix.com. some people have had changes in behavior,

hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice agitation, hostility, depression or changes in behavior, thinking or mood that are not typical for you, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. talk to your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which can get worse while taking chantix. some people can have allergic or serious skin reactions to chantix, some of which can be life threatening. if you notice swelling of face, mouth, throat or a rash stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away. do not take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to chantix. tell your doctor which medicines you're taking as they may work differently when you quit smoking. chantix dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. the most common side effect is nausea. patients also reported trouble sleeping and vivid, unusual or strange dreams. until you know how chantix may affect you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. chantix should not be taken with other quit-smoking products. ♪ my benjamin, he helped me with the countdown.

"ben, how many days has it been?" "5 days, mom. 10 days, mom." i think after 30 days he got tired of counting. [ male announcer ] talk to your doctor about chantix. find out how you can save money on your prescription and learn terms and conditions at chantix.com. here's what a new report shows. it found one in six americans living in poverty. that's nearly 44 million people. it is the highest number in 51 years. the census report says children are suffering the most, one in five are living in poverty. but the numbers don't give us the entire story. a face behind the statistics. poppy harlow spoke with a brooklyn woman who is fighting to get out of poverty. >> reporter: president obama said today, the number of people living in america in poverty is unacceptably high. >> this is true. poverty is really very serious. it's very -- demoralizing. it's made to feel demoralizing.

hurtful. there's so much going on, and there's no jobs available. no one wants to live the way we have to live. >> reporter: how do you get by every day, ann? what do you live on? >> i live on approximately $5,000 a year. sometimes i have to skip a meal to make sure i can save the money so that my son brian has what he needs. and if it wasn't for my sister, my son would not have half of his school supplies or any of his clothing for school. >> reporter: joseph, how has it been for you? do you feel like you grew up in poverty? >> yes. but i wasn't deprived a good childhood. so i'm very happy. it doesn't matter where you come from. if you have a good childhood, money isn't an issue. >> i gave everything i can to my children. if i had to go without, it's okay. as long as my children had. >> reporter: if you could have one message to send to the people watching, what would it be? >> my message